


Finding You (Zhangjing)

by SilverWriting



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Pick-Up Lines, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Zhangjun, as usual, both are flirty as hell, soulmate!AU, zhangjun are so in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-06-29 00:51:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15718533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWriting/pseuds/SilverWriting
Summary: Yanjun cleared his throat. "The guy I did the pun on... I think it might've been him."Dinghao stared at him, expression now blank. "So last night, you said the worst possible pun in existence,unintentionally, to yoursoulmate, and you didn't realize it untiltoday?!"Yanjun winced.-Or, a universe where the first time you touch your soulmate you get a unique marking on your wrist. If you and your soulmate stay separated for too long before the end of two weeks, the sickness stays forever. Yanjun and Zhangjing are almost too late.





	Finding You (Zhangjing)

Zhangjing wanted to go home. As someone who was generally a social person, he supposed this was a bit surprising. But when his friends who'd convinced him to come to this party- he hadn't want to come anyways- ditched him for dance floor, Zhangjing didn't find himself in a very sociable mood. 

He hummed to himself, eyeing the crowd of mostly wasted young adults dancing drunkenly around the floor. Despite being such a casual spot, the entire bar felt alive with the music. Recognizing the tune, Zhangjing sang along quietly, watching the colored lights flicker between the rainbow spectrum idly. 

"You know, I'm surprised someone with such a seemly beautiful voice as yours would be sitting alone," A voice suddenly sounded from besides him.

Zhangjing cut off instantly, turning sideways only to see a man staring at him with a small smile on his lips. Quickly recovering, Zhangjing tossed out a response. "Are you offering? Because I'm not sure you fit the standards." He swirled his drink, feigning nonchalance. 

"Oh? Can I buy you a drink, perhaps? Will that fit your standards?" The man leaned forward slightly, and Zhangjing's mind suddenly processed how attractive the man was.

_ He does it in such an effortless way, too _ , Zhangjing thought with a twinge of jealousy. The man wore a simple royal blue dress shirt tucked into black jeans, and his hair wasn't even styled. Yet it still managed to look handsome with his face. Zhangjing felt ever so slightly underdressed in his oversized but warm sweatshirt (he'd told Chaoze he was wearing it no matter  _ where _ they were headed on that chilly fall night), but he quickly pushed the thought away, already distracted enough.

"But I already have a drink," Zhangjing responded, waiting for the man's response with a quirked eyebrow.

"Then I'll assume you can use some food to go with it," the man decided, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes as he spoke. Zhangjing instantly felt apprehensive. "Hmm... can I get you a bowl of fruit? Cause I think we'd make a great  _ pear _ ." 

Zhangjing's mind blanked for a second. When he realized the pun, however, he pushed the chair back and stood up, causing the man to laugh lightheartedly and grab his wrist, stopping him from walking away.  _ Had this handsome stranger seriously walked up to him and used that  _ stupid _ pun on him? _ A small tingle ran through Zhangjing's body from where the other male's hand had gripped his wrist, but Zhangjing was too caught up in the man's laughter at his own damn pun to notice.

"I'm sorry, I won't make a pun again," the handsome stranger assured him, gaze locked on Zhangjing's, his lips still twisted into a smile.

"I didn't know you intended to scare me away," Zhangjing responded cooly, trying to smother his own smile, "though I suppose a man with your level of attractiveness has men and women alike at his feet, regardless of how shitty his puns are." 

"I don't know if I should be offended or not, cutie."

"Don't call me cute- have you seen yourself?" 

"If you don't like that name I could call you mine." 

Zhangjing rolled his eyes, his smile peeking out. "Seriously, why are you here?"

The man laughed again, eyes twinkling. "It was actually a challenge from one of my friends,. Speaking of, I should probably get back to them- we were heading out soon. Can I get your name?" 

"Zhangjing," Zhangjing answered, trying to ignore the hurt that suddenly stabbed through him when he realized the man did not plan to stay. His fingers crept over to the wine glass he'd been cradling all evening and tightened around the stem.  _ It's not like a guy that handsome would  actually flirt with me anyways.  _

"Zhangjing," the handsome stranger responded with a smirk, and Zhangjing felt his heartbeat increase when the man captured him with that powerful gaze. "Nice to meet you." 

Before he could respond, handsome stranger stopped a passing waiter. "A basket of fish and chips for the cutie here." He handed a couple bills to the waiter, before smiling back at Zhangjing, his eyes sparkling. "See you around." 

The handsome stranger walked back into the crowd, the people on the dance floor swallowing him up. Zhangjing felt his hidden smile slowly fade away.

-

Yanjun didn't realize what the problem was at first. He fell asleep at night feeling fine, happy after a night with his friends. Maybe a little tipsy from alcohol, but nothing unreasonable. 

It was the morning after that things started to go wrong. Yanjun sat up a little  _ too _ quickly, and felt his vision spin sickeningly. He frowned to himself, because he knew he wasn't  _ that _ drunk. It was then Yanjun realized that his nose was starting to feel clogged. 

_ Sick? _

His roommate, Lu Dinghao, chose that moment to walk into his room. "Ugh, remind me to never drink that much again," Dinghao groaned. 

Yanjun opened his mouth to tease his friend and his misery, but ended up coughing several times instead. Dinghao frowned at him, his sleep-glazed eyes turning concerned. "You ok, Yanjun?" 

Yanjun cleared his throat. "Yeah. I think I'm getting sick though." 

"Yeah, you sound like a first day cold," Dinghao noted, inching towards the door, "but I'll pick up some soup or something for you after my afternoon class, okay?" 

"Thanks," Yanjun called, feeling suddenly grateful for his roommate. He managed to wearily pull himself out of bed and over to his closet, grabbing a comfortable t-shirt and hoodie for the day. He was free from classes on Friday and Saturday. 

However, it was when he pulled on the t-shirt that Yanjun something caught Yanjun's eyes. His breathing stopped for a second. 

There, on the inside of his wrist, was a swirling design of black ink.  _ A soulmate mark _ . For a second, Yanjun was frozen. Then he swore loudly, forcing his tired body to run out of the room and catch his roommate before he left. 

"Lu Dinghao!" He called out loudly, gasping for breath. 

Dinghao paused, hand hovering above the doorknob. "What's wrong?"

Yanjun held up his wrist silently, watching his roommate's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates as his brain processed the soulmate mark. "Who?" He demanded, his hand falling from the handle.

Yanjun took a shaky breath, trying to explain quickly. "If it's who I think it is, we have an issue. Because I don't know for sure-"

"You don't know who it is?!" Dinghao squawked, his voice incredulous and his brown eyes still wide. 

Yanjun's lips pressed into a thin line as he took another deep breath, but a harsh cough forced its way out anyways. Yanjun cleared his throat. "The guy I did the pun on... I think it might've been him." 

Dinghao stared at him, expression now blank. "So last night, you said the worst possible pun in existence _ , unintentionally,  _ to your  _ soulmate _ , and you didn't realize it until  _ today?!" _

Yanjun winced.

-

"Finally," Zhangjing groaned as he flopped onto the bunk bed him and Chaoze shared in their dorm, the loud music and bright lights of the bar left behind, "I thought you were  _ never _ going to leave that place." 

Chaoze rolled his eyes. "Hey, you weren't completely without entertainment. I saw you chatting up that guy earlier." 

"You mean his flirting for a dare," Zhangjing said bitterly, shrugging out of his sweatshirt to put on his pjs, " _ and _ his ridiculously cheesy pun." 

Chaoze scowled. "Oh  _ that's _ what he was doing? What a jerk." 

Zhangjing shrugged. "Can't say I'm surprised. Can you pass me that t-shirt?" He held out a hand.

With a sigh, Chaoze grabbed it from the sofa and turned to pass it to Zhangjing, only to let out a shriek and drop it. "Why didn't you  _ tell _ me you met your soulmate?" 

Zhangjing stared at his roommate in confusion. "What?" 

Chaoze pointed at his wrist. "Did you not  _ see _ it?!" 

Zhangjing looked down at his wrist and felt his heart stop. "Oh shit," he swore. 

"Zhangjing you idiot!" Chaoze smacked him with a pillow, immediately guessing what had happened. "You  _ know  _ you aren't supposed to stay away from your soulmate for the first two weeks! It makes you sick! What if you never find them?" 

"I didn't know I met them!" Zhangjing defended, but unease pooled in his stomach. He had to find his soulmate as soon as possible.

"It's cause you wore that stupid sweatshirt to the bar!" Chaoze took a deep breath. "Alright you need to think. Who did you touch tonight?" 

Zhangjing cringed at the way his roommate phrased the question, but thought. "Nobody... oh. Oh, no," Zhangjing groaned. 

"Who?" Chaoze demanded. 

"The guy who flirted with me. He was the only one. And I'll tell you right now, I saw him leave the bar with his friends.  It's hopeless." Zhangjing flung himself backwards in the bed, collapsing on the thin mattress dramatically. 

"You're going to go back to that bar every night," Chaoze said, his voice leaving no room for argument, "and you're going to  _ wait _ for him to come back. God, do you even know his  _ name _ ?" 

"...No," Zhangjing muttered, and wondered how many times he'd regretted his decisions in this day alone. 

"You're hopeless." 

"Shut up, at least I found my soulmate," Zhangjing shot back, and Chaoze snorted, heading towards the bathroom. 

Zhangjing dropped his head back onto the pillow.  _ Soulmate, huh? _ His mind brought back a picture of him, with his captivating smirk and sharp features.  _ You have the voice of an angel, _ he had said. Zhangjing sighed, turning over on his side. Of course fate wasn't going to let him have a man that beautiful so easily. 

-

" _ Wang _ Zhangjing?  _ Li  _ Zhangjing _? Zhu _ Zhangjing? Dammit, I didn't even ask him for his last name," Yanjun swore, looking at the list of names enrolled at their apartment complex. He'd decided to start there for his search, and his roommate was regarding him with a pitying look. Yanjun hadn't exactly told him how he'd gotten that list, but he figured that look would be even more pitying if he did.

"You realize how awkward this will be if none of them are him?" Dinghao asked, digging into the Chinese takeout they'd ordered. 

"Dinghao, I  _ need _ to find my soulmate," Yanjun hissed, completely ignoring the food in favor writing the numbers from the apartment phone book in front of him. It was only those with the name Zhangjing, but their campus was big.

"There's like 5 apartment complexes on this campus, never mind the  _ houses _ off-campus," Dinghao protested, beginning to look worried himself. 

Yanjun finally looked up, pen clenched in his hand. "I need to try. My soulmate is waiting for me. They had to have realized it by now. God, Dinghao, I didn't even tell them  _ my _ name."

Dinghao nearly choked on his food, the chopsticks clattering out of his grip as he snatched his glass of water. "You flirted with him for  _ so _ long- ok maybe it was only a few minutes but  _ still _ \- you even bought him food! How do you not make proper introductions?" 

"I don't know," Yanjun stressed, getting up, the sheet of paper in his grip. "I need to find him. You should've seen him, Dinghao. He sings like he was born from one of those sirens from Greek mythology, and has the cutest smile and most adorable laugh." 

Dinghao wrinkled his nose at the description. "Yeah ok, go find your soulmate, Gege. I don't want to hear how whipped you are already." He waved a dismissive hand. 

Yanjun bolted.

-

Zhangjing groaned quietly. The constantly pounding music was starting to give him a headache. He cradled the glass of soda in his hands, unable to sit still. 

3 hours. He'd been here for 3 hours, just sitting there. Waiting. 

It was a Friday night so the entire place was packed, but Zhangjing's eyes were sharp. His soulmate was nowhere in sight.  _ Just 2 more hours _ , he promised himself, though it was more like begging himself. That was the time he'd seen his soulmate leave. 9:16 exactly.

"Hey cutie, you look lonely," a deep voice spoke up from besides him. The situation was so much like the night Zhangjing had met his soulmate that he almost got excited. Then he saw the man's pale face and unruly red locks. He was older too, much older than Zhangjing. 

"I'm perfectly fine," Zhangjing responded coolly, taking a slow sip of his coke. Really, he got that it was a bar, but was it really necessary to put such a normal beverage into a wine glass?

"I bet you could do for some...  _ company, _ " the man murmured, eyes dark, and Zhangjing arched an eyebrow, the man's tone making him more on edge.

"Actually, I'm waiting for someone. So kindly escort yourself out." It wasn't a complete lie, and it did the trick. 

With a scoff, the man got up, throwing Zhangjing one last lingering gaze, before seeing Zhangjing's icy expression and leaving. 

Zhangjing inwardly relaxed.  _ Where are you? _ He thought to his soulmate helplessly. 

-

Days passed. 5 nights later, Zhangjing stumbled back into the dorm, rushed passed his roommate, and promptly threw up in the bathroom. 

"Zhangjing?!" His roommate hurried over, concern in his voice. "Don't tell me you've started drinking while waiting for your soulmate."

"Idiot," Zhangjing coughed out, then spat into the toilet.  _ Ew. _ "It's our soulmate bond that's making me sick." 

Chaoze bit his lip in worry. In the past few days, Zhangjing had looked skinnier and skinnier, skipping dinners to sit at the bar doing nothing for his health  _ or _ his grades. Though Chaoze supposed if the two weeks  _ did _ come to an end without Zhangjing's soulmate... he didn't want to think about it. Zhangjing would stay sick forever. There'd be no way of telling who his soulmate was.

"Need anything? I'll get you some water, just brush your teeth and join me when you're ready." 

"Other than that I'm good," Zhangjing mumbled, rising to his feet. 

Minutes later the two curled up on the couch together, Zhangjing resting his head against Chaoze's shoulder, the other stroking his hair. "You're  _ certain _ none of them are him?" 

"Of course," Zhangjing scoffed, "I would  _ know." _ A sudden thought hit him. 

"Chaoze," he began, trying to ignore his fearfully increasing heartbeat, "I'm going to stay like this  _ forever _ if I don't find him." 

Chaoze took one look at his roommate's fearful eyes and set his jaw, a grim look of determination coming over him. "No, I refuse to let it happen. You're going to find him. I'll ask around as much as I can but," he hesitated, "it'll be kind of hard without a name. But I'll do it. You're  _ soulmates _ , Zhangjing. Fate wouldn't have put you two together if you were meant to never find each other."

Zhangjing gave him a grateful smile, but his soft brown eyes were still filled with unrest. "Ok." 

Neither slept well that night. 

-

_ This is a cute house, _ Yanjun thought absentmindedly, ringing the doorbell of the cute house near their college that Dinghao had found.  _ Cute enough for my soulmate to live in. _

The door opened and an unfamiliar young boy opened it, his eyes wary but a polite smile on his face. "Can I help you?" 

Yanjun felt his heart plummet. Deep inside, he  _ had _ known this wasn't the place, solely because the pounding in his head hadn't loosened at all, but he had hoped. Maybe a bit too much. Yesterday, he'd tried to play hot and cold with his headache. He wasn't sure how close he had to be to his soulmate, but it didn't go well. 

"I'm sorry," Yanjun apologized, "wrong address." 

"Oh." The younger boy gave him a brighter smile, obviously ready to shut the door in his face. "Well, have fun finding the right place!" 

Yanjun forced out a goodbye before stumbling back to his car, a sharp pain stabbing through his mind. A wave of dizziness washed over him. Gritting his teeth, Yanjun focused his mind on getting back to his dorm.  _ I'll find him. How many more Zhangjings can there be anyways? _

As Yanjun stepped into the elevator to his dorm, the dizziness residing in his head seemed to increase the same way the elevator rose. Slowly but steadily. Yanjun leaned heavily against the walls, before groaning when it only jostled his head more. 

_ Ding! _

Yanjun stumbled into their dorm, Dinghao glancing up from the couch. "No luck I'm as- are you ok?"

Yanjun turned towards him and felt the entire room do a backflip. He groaned again. Dinghao was on his feet now, rushing towards Yanjun. 

"Yanjun? You seem really unsteady, are-" 

Yanjun felt his vision cloud over, before becoming completely dark. Dinghao's voice faded. 

By the time Yanjun came to, he was in his bed, a glass of water on the table next to him and a concerned and angry roommate staring at him from the foot of the bed. 

"You're stopping this," Dinghao announced. 

"Are you crazy?" Yanjun snapped, sitting up and causing pain to smash through his head. He promptly put his head back on the pillow. 

"Fuck," he hissed out, "how am I supposed to find my soulmate like this? How long have I even been out?" 

"Only a few hours," Dinghao said drily, "I almost called an ambulance, but you were breathing so I figured you just fainted. But you're done looking around for your soulmate. What if you faint out in the open?" 

"Someone will find me." 

"But what if they  _ don't?" _ Dinghao stressed, and Yanjun's eyes flashed.

"Do you  _ want _ me to be like this for the rest of my life?" 

"Of course not."

"Then don't hold me back," Yanjun snapped loudly, and Dinghao closed his mouth. 

"Where do I search now?" Yanjun looked as if he was going to pull his hair out from stress. 

"Have you gone back to where you met?" Dinghao asked after a second of silence.

Yanjun's eyes widened. "No."

"Go back to the bar tonight, then," Dinghao suggested. "Stay there for the evening where Mubo can watch you while he's on shift. That's still looking for your soulmate right?" 

Yanjun hesitated. "...Yes, but-"

"I've seen your list. There's no more Zhangjing's you can look for. This is all you can do, Lin Yanjun. Please be safe." 

"Fine." Yanjun sat up slowly, heat and dizziness pulsing through his mind and body. He felt weak all over, but he  _ would _ make it to his soulmate. He wouldn't take no for an answer.

-

Zhangjing's stomach turned uncomfortably, and he stared dejectedly at his glass of coke he didn't have the stomach to even drink. His body felt exhausted and feverish, beads of sweat forming on his hairline. He buried his face in his arms, using his sleeves to try and muffle the sounds around him. The vibrations from the base just made him feel even more uncomfortable, and Zhangjing wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to stay there.

"Your soulmate left you huh?" A gruff looking man sat down besides him.

Zhangjing raised his head wearily, frowning as a memory was triggered in the back of his mind. The larger man looked and sounded awfully familiar, but Zhangjing couldn't place it. 

"I was going to leave you alone. But you look horribly sick, so I pieced it together. You were waiting for your soulmate." 

It finally clicked. Zhangjing stiffened instantly- it was the man who'd hit on him about a week ago and gotten turned down. "You'll get sick if you stay around me," Zhangjing warned with a calm expression, hiding his anger.

The man shook his head, red hair bouncing around with the movement. "The sickness caused from soulmate bonds isn't contagious."

"Go  _ away _ ," Zhangjing warned, but the man wasn't as easily dissuaded this time.

Come on," his fingers crept to Zhangjing's thigh, "I could give you a few pleasurable momen-" 

"He's taken."

To Zhangjing's left, a full champagne glass was slammed just a little  _ too _ aggressively against the bar counter. Despite the loud music blaring from the speakers, the impact echoed clearly between the three males. The man jumped back in shock, his hand falling from Zhangjing's thigh and making Zhangjing feel shivers run through him- both disgust from the man's touch and from hope. 

Hope, because he  _ recognized _ that voice. 

The nameless voice he'd been thinking of night and day. Zhangjing turned almost too sharply, his body protesting the movement. Standing behind him protectively was the dark-haired man who'd charmed his way into Zhangjing's heart with a mere smile 5 days ago. 

"Leave," Zhangjing's soulmate growled at the man, who tossed them a disgusted glance. 

"Lucky bastard," he growled at Zhangjing, but he backed up when from behind Zhangjing the brown-haired male's eyes darkened and he took a menacing step forward. The pathetic man turned tail and ran into the crowd.

Zhangjing reached out a hand shakily to his soulmate shakily, as if worried that touching him was going to make him disappear. His soulmate sat down on the seat next to him, before reaching out a shaky hand and intertwining their fingers. Both let audible sighs of relief out. Zhangjing felt his stomach begin to stop turning. The music didn't seem so loud.

"Name," Zhangjing suddenly whispered, staring up at his soulmate with wide, awestruck eyes. There was pain in them too, but Zhangjing did his best to mask it. For a second, Zhangjing's request seemed to confuse his soulmate. Then, it dawned on him.

"Lin Yanjun," he said, voice low, reaching out a hand to cup Zhangjing's neck and pull their foreheads together. Zhangjing shivered slightly at the touch, eyelashes fluttering, but he kept his eyes open. He wanted to remember this picture of Yanjun, despite how weary the other male looked at closer inspection. He was still so  _ gorgeous _ in Zhangjing's eyes. He felt a smile slide onto his lips unknowingly. He liked touching his soulmate. Just the thought that this  _ was _ his soulmate had his heart warming.

"Lin Yanjun," he repeated, several times for good measure. The corner of Yanjun's lips twisted up in a pleased smile, openly displaying his approval for his name on Zhangjing's tongue. "I'm You Zhangjing."

"You Zhangjing..." Yanjun pronounced his name softly and slowly, as if tasting the words. His tone was sensual, and Zhangjing couldn't help appreciating how right it sounded to hear the syllables from Yanjun's lips. "I'm sorry." 

"Don't be," Zhangjing murmured, unsure exactly what he was apologizing for, but willing to forgive him anyways. How could he not? "I have you now..."

The sounds of the bar still pounded the walls around them, the crowds of mostly drunk people unaware of the quiet moment of relief the two had just gone through. Yanjun took a deep breath, dropping Zhangjing's hand in favor of standing up and wrapping it around his waist. 

"Come to my place," he demanded quietly, "it's not far. I want you in my arms for awhile." 

Zhangjing gave him a blinding smile in response. "Ok." In the taller male's eyes, Zhangjing could see exhaustion, but Yanjun's gaze appeared more focused than mere minutes ago. He gave a nod to one of the bartenders at the island section behind Zhangjing, before leading him out. 

"I was scared," Zhangjing said into the silence the instant they stepped out of the bar.  _ Scared I wouldn't find you.  _ He watched as Yanjun closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. 

"I was too." His grip tightened on Zhangjing's waist. 

-

Back at Yanjun's dorm, they had barely touched their fist to the door to knock when the door swung open. 

Yanjun watched his roommate's eyes meet his, before dropping down to Yanjun's arm around Zhangjing's waist. Dinghao let out a sharp breath of air.

"You scared me," he accused, but there was a bright smile on his face. "I'm happy for you two." 

Zhangjing arched an eyebrow at him, waiting for an introduction. 

"Zhangjing, this is my roommate Lu Dinghao. Dinghao this is... my soulmate, You Zhangjing." Yanjun stumbled on the word soulmate, still a bit unconvinced it was truly real. 

"Nice to meet you," Zhangjing said with a smile.

"You too," Dinghao agreed, before turning around, leaving the door open for them. "I'm going to sleep. I've spent enough time worrying about your stupid love life, Lin Yanjun." 

"Don't be too jealous," Yanjun called after him, amusement in his voice, before directing Zhangjing to his own room. 

The bed was a bit on the small side, but nothing that would be impossible to share if they were close.  _ Of course, only if it's ok with him. _ Yanjun turned a challenging stare on his soulmate. "Do you mind sharing?" 

Zhangjing returned the question with a raised eyebrow and a question of his own. "Sure. Will you let me borrow your clothes for pajamas?" 

Taken aback by the smaller male's boldness for a second, Yanjun hesitated before replying. "Sure." 

Yanjun cursed himself.  _ Why did his soulmate have such a strong effect on him? _ He pressed his lip against the other's ear, a playful smile on his lips. "I think you'll look cuter than you already are, if you're in  _ my _ clothes." 

Zhangjing giggled, a faint blush on his cheeks as he pushed him slightly. Yanjun felt his own smile grow in return, before he reluctantly let go of Zhangjing to get clothes. Just that loss of contact sent a warning wave of dizziness through his mind, and from Zhangjing's expression, he was feeling something similar. At the bar, when Yanjun had first let their fingers touch, the pounding headache had loosened, and Yanjun could feel it slowly begin to fade. The sudden wave of dizziness made his heart pound anxiously.

Zhangjing swallowed, both of them watching each other quietly. Then, he spoke up. "I think we should hurry so we don't stay apart."

Yanjun was aware of how their soulmate bond worked. They weren't allowed to be too far apart for long durations of time for 2 weeks after their initial meeting, but to have to stay this close? Yanjun was surprised, but not in a bad way.  _ Maybe even pleased _ , he thought with a smile. 

He  _ wanted _ Zhangjing at his side, after all.

A quick 10 minutes later, they were both ready for bed. Zhangjing had just finished up in the bathroom. 

"I'm going to skip classes tomorrow," Yanjun announced as Zhangjing made his way carefully through the dark and towards the bed Yanjun was in. 

"Sounds good," Zhangjing mumbled indifferently, reaching out a cautious hand as he neared the bed. The instant he was close enough, Yanjun snatched Zhangjing's hand and locked their fingers, tugging the older boy into his bed. 

Zhangjing let out a quiet yelp before re-adjusting himself, resting his head on the soft spot between Yanjun's shoulder and chest. His hand settled comfortably on his soulmate's chest, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his breathing. Yanjun wrapped his arms around Zhangjing snugly, content filling him. The mild dizziness faded to nearly non-existent, a minuscule headache and stuffy nose the only things lingering. 

"I wonder what I did to deserve someone as wonderful as you," Zhangjing murmured sleepily, sounding almost sleep-drunk. 

"You didn't have to do anything," Yanjun responded, his voice low and quiet, "You're already an angel as it is."

"Cheesy," Zhangjing scolded, sounding more awake. 

"As if you aren't the same," Yanjun chuckled, the movement jostling Zhangjing's head, "Don't think I forgot your flirting when we first met."

"Fair," Zhangjing hummed, curling closer to Yanjun's side.

Yanjun felt a smile unwillingly twist onto his lips at Zhangjing's affection, before wondering if it was normal to feel this giddy while holding his soulmate in his arms. Very quickly, Yanjun was starting to realize the other boy loved the physical contact. Yanjun himself wasn't much for it, but like  _ hell if _ he was going to deny his endearing soulmate anything.

"I've been waiting for you," Yanjun whispered, before realizing Zhangjing had passed out. With a small smile still on his face, Yanjun finally let his eyes slip closed, Zhangjing peacefully asleep against his chest. 

-

Morning woke them up slowly. Zhangjing felt himself drift into consciousness gradually, his mind slow to rethink the events of yesterday.  _ Yesterday... yesterday, I met- _ Zhangjing's eyes flew open, and he was suddenly aware of the warm body besides him, the one he'd tucked his head against the chest of. Zhangjing shifted back slightly, looking up at his soulmate with wide eyes.

"Hi," Yanjun said, the corner of his mouth turning up in a grin at Zhangjing's expression. 

Zhangjing felt his breath hitch. "Hi," he responded, voice coming out shyer than he wanted.

"You look beautiful, my lovely soulmate," Yanjun's dark eyes stayed locked onto Zhangjing's, who tried desperately to not blush at the words.  _ Damn _ ,  _ Yanjun was the definition of temptation. _

"It's too early for your flirting," Zhangjing retorted instead of voicing his actual thoughts. Yanjun's smirk seemed to widen at the smaller male's response. 

"Too tired to think of something?" 

"Mm," Zhangjing hummed, "it gets hard keeping up with your endless perfection." 

Yanjun sighed, breaking eye contact. A pleased smile crept onto his face. "We should get ready," Yanjun said, stretching slightly and causing Zhangjing to shift with him, "I suppose your roommate is still worried." 

Zhangjing cursed, his caring roommate having completely slipped his mind since last night. He pushed off Yanjun's chest, making the other boy groan. 

"Of course you're more awake  _ now,"  _ Yanjun grumbled.

"You sound so thrilled to meet him," Zhangjing teased the other boy's tone, but his actions were hurried as he fumbled for his phone. 

"I'd much rather have you to myself the entire day," Yanjun replied, unabashed. 

"We'll take tomorrow for that, fuck college," Zhangjing promised, and Yanjun snorted. 

"You'll regret saying that later." 

"Says the one skipping classes today," Zhangjing accused, extremely glad to not have classes on Thursdays nor Fridays. "I'm not even going to miss any classes if we take today and tomorrow off." 

"Maybe you should come with me to my classes." 

Zhangjing's smile died. "We're going to have to. More school, lovely." 

Yanjun rolled his eyes. "You don't have to pay attention. Now come on, let's get ready." 

The two quickly got up and ready for the day, walking out of Yanjun's apartment with fingers intertwined.

-

"Asshole," Chaoze whined the instant Zhangjing opened the door, before Chaoze flung his arms around him. 

"I was so worried," Chaoze cried out, his tone half-relief half-scolding, "I thought that you'd been kidnapped or  _ killed! _ Or even that you'd fainted or something!" 

"I've been the one fainting," Yanjun mumbled from besides him. Zhangjing's eyes shot to him, but there was a we'll-talk-later look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Zhangjing said to Chaoze, the guilt truly weighing on him. It amplified when he saw the tears glisten in his friend's eyes.

"I'm still happy for you. I'm happy you've found your soulmate. I'm happy you're safe," Chaoze sighed, his anger fading and being replaced by a smile. 

"I'm happy too," Zhangjing giggled slightly, looking back over at Yanjun. "Chaoze, meet my soulmate. Lin Yanjun."

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this was somewhat enjoyable to read! If so, leave a nice comment or kudos :)


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